


Please Say You Love Me

by Felinis



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: Comedy, First Love, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22927657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felinis/pseuds/Felinis
Summary: “It’s his first crush. It’s supposed to end badly. That’s why it’s a crush. He needs to learn that love is a series of disappointments that slowly crushes you to nothingness until you get lucky enough to actually have a long-lasting relationship.” Well, that just felt needlessly cruel… not that Eizen didn’t understand the cold logic but… let the kid dream.
Relationships: Velvet Crowe & Laphicet
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18
Collections: Tales Big Bang 2020





	Please Say You Love Me

**Author's Note:**

> I've always thought it be super cute to make a fic specifically about Laphicet's puppy love thing he has for Velvet because I almost never get to see these things in media. I just think there is inherently cute when kids are at that age where they both understand enough to know they love a person but also aren't sure how to divide platonic, familial, romantic, and all that so their response is to tell you they want to marry you.

“How do you make someone fall in love with you?”

Eizen and Rokurou both froze mid their respective tasks Rokurou’s being drinking while sharpening his swords as Eizen pretended he was reading book on classical architecture when in actuality it was a trashy romance novel from a particular author that he happened to find really carried the elegance and emotions of the two romantic leads well as they struggled against their mutual class differences.

That is his defense and he stands by it.

“Uh, what’s this about?” Rokurou raised a brow not fully stopping as he continued to sharpen while keeping his eyes nowhere near the swords. Really it wasn’t safe to sharpen any sort of equipment on a moving ship but in Eizen’s experience, Rokurou could probably sharpen a sword completely blindfolded and missing an arm. Laphicet fidgeted the way kids do when they’re trying to hide all their little secrets from a parent. “Got someone you wanna impress?”

“No!” he screeched holding up his hands defensively and between the two of them, they immediately got the idea. “It’s not anything like that! I just… want to know…” Laphicet dug his little feet into the floorboards. “Eizen, what impresses girls?!”

Rokurou set down his stuff and crossed his arms, “Excuse me, I’m not worth asking?”

And in that way, only blunt uncaring children can Laphicet looked Rokurou dead in the eye, “You never have good advice.”

It was an effort not to laugh. “Eizen’s really the only one I trust with this. Way more than you and Beinfu.”

Rokurou puffed up and grabbed Laphicet shaking him, “I have so much good advice! I am bursting with quality life advice just waiting to be said. What is it you were asking again?”

“How to make someone fall in love with you.”

“Ooh, that’s a hard no,” Rokurou dropped Laphicet and downed his sake.

A boat full of adults and somehow he’s less mature than the literal child. But, it begs the question of what is ailing the kid? Though he already has a hunch. A really good hunch.

“Okay, who’s the lucky lady?” And just like that he shrinks up and goes red. “She must be pretty special.”

“I didn’t say it was anyone!”

“Of course not.”

“But… what do they like?”

“Deep pockets for one,” Rokurou gets a light jab in the side for that. Laphicet, on the other hand, lights up before Eizen has to tell him it’s the wrong kind of pocket.

So Eizen does his best job to be as caring and supportive while kind and totally not invasive about confirming his suspicions. It’s really cute how much Laphicet is hanging off his words despite the fact that Eizen has never dated… He really doesn’t know what to say.

The dating pool for Malakhim is small and complicated and dear god the kid is gonna break his heart with his sincerity. Which is why when Eizen reaches a point where he runs out of things to say he just kinda shrugs and says “Be a man about it.”

“How do you do that?”

“You just be a man. Be strong and tough. Chart your own course but this time do it with love and raw passion.”

He has no idea what kind of advice he gave but the kid looks happy and that’s when Rokurou finally returns from being mostly silently after he’s gone to say, “That kid is gonna get his heart torn to pieces I hope you know that, right?”

“What am I supposed to do? Tell him that he’s not allowed to have feelings or something along those lines?”

“It’s his first crush. It’s supposed to end badly. That’s why it’s a crush. He needs to learn that love is a series of disappointments that slowly crushes you to nothingness until you get lucky enough to actually have a long-lasting relationship.” Well, that just felt needlessly cruel… not that Eizen didn’t understand the cold logic but… let the kid dream.

* * *

Velvet had a firm understanding of how Laphicet saw her which was why having the kid come up and ask if they wanted to read or cook or do anything together she usually just said yes and went along with it for the most part. It’s cute and kids are just like this at that age which is why when everyone brought it up her response was something along the lines of:

“Laphicet’s just a little kid projecting feelings and he’ll get it over soon enough.” Back before all this- back with Laphicet- her Laphi- back then Laphi had done something similar. That harmless childish crush were kids are just tossing out emotions and affection without any idea. It had made Celica laugh because Laphi was still so small at the time and had said he was going to marry both her and Celica.

_“But if we’re all married then we never have to be apart ever.”_

It was such a sweet sentiment. A good sentiment. But that’s not the way the world works, and he’d been deeply embarrassed any time they brought that up once Laphi had gotten older. She saw this kind of thing in a lot of kids and Laphicet will grow out of it. He’s projecting and really Velvet hasn’t done much to warrant that sort of reverence. It’s the kind of sweet sugary sentence only a child could have because all the rules of the world haven’t been drilled in.

They aren’t yet aware of huge age differences fully or familial ties and will say much well-intended stuff not realizing it may come off as weird. Lately though, maybe because the past few days Laphicet had been following her around like a duckling and maybe because he’d been slowly making his way around asking for advice everyone was bringing it up.

Everyone!

As if on a cue designed to turn her little ounce of peace as she looked out onto the ocean into an absolute headache Magilou popped in from behind, “So a little birdie said Laphicet is up to something again. Something Velvet related.”

“Your point,” Please for the love of God let her get away from this conversation. Velvet tolerates and occasionally feels some enjoyment of Magilou but half the time she wants little if nothing to do with her. Not to mention she still hasn’t forgiven her for the dove thing yet and doubts she ever will.

Magilou cupped her chin and gave a small hum in that truly irritating way she does, “Hmm I have to wonder. A poor young Malakhim child struggling against the wickedness of his heart while the cruel mistress ignores his young pining! It sure makes for fun drama while we’re traveling.”

“You are insufferable.”

“Personally I think the cruel one between us at the moment is you. Stringing along the love of a poor little boy like this.”

Velvet thought about how easily she could break her windpipe. “You make me seem like a gross pervert.”

A cackle, “Sorry. It’s just fun to tease. I’m surprised you let him get away with all of that. I figured you’d be sick of it by now.”

“It’s fine. Just let him play out his first crush. He’s a little kid. This is completely natural.” She feels like she’s saying that on loop lately. “All little kids get dumb things like this at points. I had a crush on the woman who came to watch us when Celica was busy just because they were around. They just do it naturally.”

Kids get attached easily and deeply. They look at something think it’s kind and warm. It brings them happiness so the name they give the person, object, food, anything really is love because that’s the word they have for it and that’s the easiest way to describe it. Laphicet is at an age where saying that he loves her can have the same weight as saying he loves his bug for all she knows.

Magilou leaned back on the wood railing of the deck shaking her head. “Can’t say I’ve ever loved a single soul myself included.”

“Figured with your ego you’d have a whole corner of your brain devoted to self-flattery.”

“Nope! I loathe myself with a passion so deep it defies all the laws of nature and man. Oh, the cruelty of my very state of being. It sends shivers racing down my spine!” Magilou had turned herself to lean on Velvet dramatically. She’s very small and light.

Pushing her into the sea would be very easy.

“Why are we even talking about this?”

“I just want to know how long before you break the poor kid’s heart.”

Velvet scoffed, “I’m not planning on breaking his heart.”

“Then what? You planning on saying yes in the future?” Magilou blanched dryly, “Do that and I swear I’ll turn you over to the Abby myself.”

“God no! I’ll just let him work it out like any other kid. He’s gonna figure it out sooner or later.”

She shook her head, “For your sake, I hope so because the kid asked me for advice.”

“I swear to god if you said anything-“

“Hey what do you take me for?” Is that rhetorical? “I kept clean and friendly for the kid. Blandest wisdom I could muster. But… if he decides to serenade you in the next day I apologize in advance.” She is not sorry in the slightest.

Velvet shook her head in absolute frustration. These people.

* * *

Laphicet loved Velvet. He really did! He loved Velvet and he wanted her to notice but… well…

“Velvet, I wrote you a poem! Can I read it to you?” Laphicet wasn’t really fond of poetry and if he was honest didn’t see much the point in it most times. Beinfu’s was so heavy and a downer and he didn’t really understand some of the stuff Eizen got him with how flowery it was. He thinks poetry is a thing writers do when they don’t want to admit to not knowing how to write a full short story or just want to be ornate with their language all the time to sound smart. Overall, he doesn’t see the appeal but Beinfu and all the books he read seemed to state that poetry and romance were both two very important things that mixed together like fine wines or something…

He’s not sure he gets it but he’s willing to try.

_Just so you notice me!_

He spoke up once more and Velvet turned from her cleaning to finally look at him. “Oh, a poem? That’s very sweet of you. Let’s give it a listen.”

Laphicet nodded and lifted up the paper mostly so he could not look at her eyes. Eye contact made him nervous every time he tried to say something about how much Velvet made him happy. How when Velvet smiled and acknowledged him as a person all his own and said his name it made him feel like he mattered. That when Laphicet thought about how he wanted to spend his life every day he was going to be with Velvet and he was going to do all the chores he could and take care of her so she would never stop smiling. He’d make the best world for her.

The poem was honestly very benign and dumb. Its purpose was mostly just to grab her whole attention and get the point across since he seemed to be failing. That or Velvet was ignoring him completely on purpose in which he knows it can’t be. That would be mean and cruel. Eizen had said that if a person doesn’t tell you what they feel about your feelings then they’re being insensitive.

Velvet can be rude, brash, cruel, and even sometimes dishonest but she’s not insensitive. So he figures that when he’s done he’ll finally get a response to his burning question. Laphicet isn’t brave enough to just say I love you but it’s obvious if she’s listening.

But she’s not. She’s not because she smiles at him so casually and pats him on the head saying it was a lovely poem. It wasn’t though. It was bland and poorly constructed with consistently repeating prose. Laphicet knew that along with the fact that he’d all but said “I love you” and she missed it entirely.

What’s a guy to do to get a girl to notice him around here?

“Is something the matter, Phi?” She must have noticed his sulking.

“It’s nothing!” He beamed and tucked that awful poem away in his bag thinking once more that his efforts seemed in vain. “Velvet, have you ever been in love?”

She paused and her eyes got a faraway look to a life before him, “Well it depends. There are a lot of kinds of love in this world.”

Laphicet tugged nervously at his sleeves, “What about the kind where… where you wanna be with someone forever?”

Her lips turned into that smile she gave him from time to time that made him feel so loved and wanted, “Well if it’s a person like that then I’ve had a few people I’ve wanted to stay with me forever…” Then it fell back to that old world that Laphicet would never know.

He wanted her to love him as Phi and never Laphi. To see him as someone who would always be there for her and he hoped when he grabbed her hand and told her that he wanted to clean with her it came across.

“Please know I love you.” He was constantly trying to say to Velvet even if all he got back was silence. He’d wait. He could wait. Because this was Velvet and she was worth always waiting for in his young little eyes.

* * *

The way Eleanor saw it after the fourth poem a change in tactics was in order not to mention the fact that poor Laphicet had recently broken into Eizen’s stash of romance novels that were not all… well, let’s just say they skirted around many topics till Laphicet finally got the clue that none of them would squeal. The hardest part in watching this adorable tragedy was the constant knowledge of how hard Laphicet was working to impress Velvet.

Every minute it seemed she got asked something along the lines of “Do girls like this?” or “Would Velvet like that?”

She understood how important these kinds of feelings were in young children and that Velvet kept insisting she’d handle it but she worried about how Laphicet would take it when the time came which is why over tea she brought it up.

“Are you ever going to tell Laphicet about how this little crush of his is… well… you know?” Eleanor wasn’t entirely sure how it was she was supposed to word it. It was in a sense simply unrequited love but at the same time, this was much more innocent and childish. All she knew was that currently, Velvet was really dragging out the inevitable. “I mean I get why but don’t you think dragging it out like this a bit… mean?”

Velvet took a sip of her tea not able to taste it but enjoying the warmth that would coat her tongue as she drank. “Believe me I’ve been working on it.”

Eleanor quirked her brow because as far as she could tell Velvet wasn’t doing anything other than ignoring it entirely.

“I’ve tried to but…” Velvet looks exasperated, “I don’t want to hurt Phi’s feelings so I’ll gently mention things like how he’s still a little kid and he just- Ugh, Eleanor he’s too pure for heartbreak. Just look at him! I feel like I’m committing some kind of sin.”

“You burned and destroyed Helavwes when we first met.”

“Well, I can live with that. This is… I want Phi to be happy and have as much of a normal life we can scrounge together. It’s the least I can do but…”

Eleanor gets it, strangely. She often disagrees and dislikes Velvet, but often she finds she can at least agree with her when it comes to Laphicet though this is a different situation. Eleanor is used to being the soft lining to Velvet’s iron glove that she takes into the world but sometimes she surprises her by being lax and motherly with him to a point that Eleanor worries Laphicet would end up spoiled completely on his own. It makes Eleanor wonder how much she’s still projecting her Laphi onto him even though she knows better and can see him for who he is. She took care and protected her little brother for a long time from what she understands and no matter how different that part of her that knows how to care for things must still be acting on that instinct to protect him because sometimes Velvet will shy and shut him away from things that happen. Not often but they’re little things that she says kids shouldn’t know just yet. It feels deeply ironic considering what Laphicet has done.

The kid lit a man on fire yesterday for trying to mug them with one of his spells and asked if he “Did I do good?”. Eleanor gets that fighting is just a part of the whole situation they were in and that self-defense is a good thing for Laphicet to preform but something about how eager he is to show off strikes her with concern.

Kids shouldn’t be that eager to launch fireballs onto living things. Actually, children shouldn’t be launching fireballs without adult supervision in general but these are very unique circumstances.

Eleanor straightened back in her chair, “Are you worried he’ll grow up too fast?”

“No.”

“Then why-“ A loud knocking came at the door.

“Velvet, Eleanor, I made you a cake,” Laphicet called from the other side of the door before barging in with a small cake of above amateurish quality in hand.

She raised her brow at Velvet and somewhat enjoyed the way she refused to make eye contact and was burying her face into her cup. “That’s very sweet of you.”

Laphicet beamed and started cutting a piece despite their small protests, “A gentleman makes sure to serve beautiful ladies like yourselves.”

If she shoves her nose any further into that cup she’s gonna drown.

Velvet beams that motherly smile of hers as she takes the slice and gingerly bites into it. Eleanor wonders for a minute if he somehow forgot that Velvet can’t taste anything other than blood because he seems to be hanging on her every movement. It’s not bad all considering but not anything spectacular.

“Well?”

“It’s tasty and I appreciate it Phi. It was nice of you to bring us this.”

“I’m so glad you liked it!” Laphicet looked like he was gonna leap up and hug her in his excitement and it was very cute. It really is hard to want to say no to a kid trying this hard… but when Laphicet doesn’t leave and simply sits curled next to Velvet unaware of the tone of the room. Enough they have to mention Benwick wanting Laphicet’s help with the navigation today just to get him out of the room long enough for them to finish their talk.

But, she can’t deny how mean it feels to say no to him when he’s got that big smile on his face but someone is going to have to eventually.

* * *

At what point did affection feel like a parody because it seemed like they were approaching it rapidly within the past week? They can’t really be sure what happened but Laphicet has gone from just sort of waddling behind Velvet like a sweet duckling to a goose honking in her face every other second she wasn’t holding his hand or talking to him.

Rokurou is pretty sure it has to do with that vendor that flirted with her while they were out getting groceries. He felt bad for the poor guy running the cart because he’s sure in that guy’s head flirting with Velvet so she’d buy extra or forget to haggle seemed like a good idea.

In fact, if it was anyone other than Velvet it might have been successful but she wouldn’t fall for it and more importantly, Laphicet had gone… What’s the best phrase Rokurou can use while keeping it child-friendly… Ape- no, wait there’s a swear word- off their rocker? No way sounds like an old lady.

Ultra-scary-possessive? Ya know sure. Let’s go for that.

Now, in his humble opinion this all had to do with Eizen being all ‘A real man is chivalrous and stands by their love’ and then forgetting that Laphicet is a small child with the power to level a small town.

Probably a mid-sized town the more he thought on it. Well, is he defining leveling by there being no built structures and just a pile of ashes or does everyone have to be a pile of ash and buildings can be somewhat standing? That changes the entire equation!

…But that’s also completely off-topic.

Rokurou is gonna say a mid-sized and a half. He’s gotta ask Eizen later what he thinks.

Right- vendor! That’s what this was about!

So, holding doors open and making dinner, stuff like that is cute and harmless. Nobody minds that Laphicet gets a little puffed up when he’s denied the opportunity to show off for Velvet because it’s really funny and just… Look, Rokurou knows he doesn’t like it but Laphicet is adorable to an absurd degree. Especially when he’s angry. You just want to pinch his little cheeks.

They’ve been letting him get away with a lot. From refusing to give them private adult time to being cuddly with Velvet every chance he got. He’s not sure how Velvet isn’t sick of it by now but if Rokurou were to venture a guess it had everything to do with the fact that as cold as she tries to be the gal can’t help wanting to spoil him. She wants someone to love and to take care of.

He doesn’t know all the details but he hears her scream at night and he knows that the cold look on her face finally softens when she sees Laphicet smile because of her. Rokurou knows there’s another Laphicet that she can’t get rid of and needs to get over. Frankly, it seems way too unhealthy to just keep that all bottled up like she has.

The point is Laphicet being weirdly aggressive over Velvet wasn’t new. Hell, on their way into town the kid flat out murdered a demon who just looked at them funny from across the way.

Not in the usual ‘ah prey for me to gloriously feast upon' but more in the ‘while I could attack you I am pretty sure you can and will wipe the floor with me’ kind of way. Kid looked way too proud of himself when he turned around from the smoking carcass.

“Did you see that? I took it out all by myself. I’m super strong aren’t I Velvet?!”

As someone with a famously bad sense of judgment when it came to any form of violence even he realized that was probably a red flag. Shockingly crimson… But, it was also pretty sweet and the kid has been just killing demons with a vengeance.

Right- vendor! Why does he have zero focus? Don’t answer that.

So the vendor was some guy is his… age- does it really matter to anyone- was noticing that Velvet was mulling over her options and started mentioning the quality of his produce and that it was fresh and also a beautiful lady such as herself must do a lot of cooking. Rokurou thought that this was pretty sexist but hated the accuracy because Velvet is a great cook and actually does do a lot of their cooking. “I don’t give discounts to anyone. Just pretty ladies and you most certainly are.” Yeah, dude, rethink that strategy. You are setting us back like 5 years just by smiling at her. “Now aren’t ya gonna buy something?”

“I haven’t got all day and beauty is fleeting.” In a way, he was asking for it.

For the most part, when people do this she ignores them and just gets back to the main point but instead, Laphicet gets in front of her when vendor guy- let’s call him Ralph for simplicity sake- got in between them and puffed up his chest.

“Excuse me, what you said was mean and rude and Velvet does not have to take it.”

Ralph blinked at Laphicet as this small child glared up at him menacingly. “Quiet kid. Grownups are doing business. Now, what do you want? I have other customers so please hurry or leave.”

He stomped his foot, “You are being rude to Velvet and should apologize!”

“I said shut up, kid. Now ya buying or what?”

“I said apologize or else I’ll get angry and you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

Velvet put a hand on his shoulder, “Laphicet, it’s fine. He’s just heckling-“

“Nobody is allowed to be mean to you Velvet! Nobody! I won’t allow it.” That’s about when he started casting a spell looking poor Ralph dead in the eyes like he might actually consider murder, “Apologize!”

So Rokurou smacked him on the head and told him to cut it out and that he should be the one to say sorry because the kid had been seconds away from destroying an entire stand because the guy running it had told Velvet to hurry up.

Thank god Eleanor or Eizen weren’t around because he’s pretty sure he’d get scolded for letting the kid get this far. “I’m sorry. Kid’s are brats at this age ya know.” Rokurou laughed holding his head down as they said they were sorry and immediately left.

The amount of anger radiating off the kid would almost make you think he could generate malevolence as Velvet told him to take him back to the Van Eltia while she met up with the others. “Think about what you’ve done,” she said coldly.

Poor kid looked absolutely defeated. “Look, you gotta know by now that what your doing isn’t gonna work, right?” Laphicet is not that dense.

“I just… I just want her to think I’m cool but she doesn’t even look at me that way.” Laphicet muttered yanking at the edge of his sleeves, “She thinks I’m just some cute little kid but I love her- and I’m strong- and I can take out huge enemies- and I’m mature…”

“You just threw a fit because a guy sort of insulted her and threatened to blow his face if he didn’t apologize.”

… “That- that’s because he deserved it!”

He knows there’s like this little rule of Velvet has to be the one to crush his heart into pieces but this is all so painful to watch. “Laphicet, a real man shouldn’t throw fits like that and you don’t need to go proving your strong every fight. We all know that you’re a smart and really powerful kid and Velvet does too. She loves you just fine the way you are.”

“It’s not enough.” Laphicet kicks idly at a pebble in the road. Oh? “I… Velvet doesn’t love me more than… the other Laphicet. I don’t want to be number two to her… I want to be the most important person in her life and I want to make sure she never cries or feels sad again and I want her to know I love her but… What do I have to do Rokurou? Why does she only see me as a kid? I’m not! I’m more than that!”

…He almost wants to laugh at the sincerity of it all. He is just a kid wanting attention at the end of the day. “You are a kid.”

“You have no proof!” He looks up and down the kid’s small and adorable frame. “Unlike you, I don’t age like a person for all we know I could actually be older than Eizen!”

“That sounds both highly unlikely and doesn’t change the fact you look and act like a child.”

“One day I’ll be even older than you are right now so I don’t see why you can’t just treat me like a grown-up this second.” That is the exact logic of dumb ten-year-old which is both proof to his point and also why Rokurou knows he won’t get through to him. Have you tried to get through to a kid when they get stuck on an idea like this? It rarely works unless…

“You should tell that to Velvet. Everything you told me.”

Laphicet raises a brow very skeptical and clearly sensing a trap, “Really?”

“You’re trying to do this whole get a love confession in a roundabout way and it’s not working because she doesn’t need to answer. Put Velvet in a situation where she has to say yes or no.”

“Huh… that’s a good idea. Thanks, Rokurou!”

“No problem. I mean you’re still in trouble for what you did but I’ll happily set up a date for you.” Now all this is left is for Velvet to shatter his heart under her steel-lined boots and for this exhausting mess to finally be over.

* * *

Nobody should allow Rokurou to be allowed next to small children because he gives them ideas and then they act on them and now Velvet is sitting in a disturbingly fancy restaurant underdressed while Laphicet sits across from her with his hair slicked back like he’s trying to be a flower boy at a wedding. None of this is a good idea. Who thought this was a good idea?

Regardless, Velvet found it hard to say no and wound up sitting having a candlelit dinner with Laphicet awkwardly trying to look for a way to expedite their way out. Why a restaurant in the first place? She can’t taste anything, to begin with, and even if Velvet still enjoyed the smell and texture without flavor eating anything expensive felt like a massive waste. It’s why she was fine with subsiding primarily on leftovers or anything she ate in battle her needs were very different compared to the others.

The gesture was still nice but this whole ordeal just felt awkward.

Laphicet gleamed at her as he swirled around a glass of sparkling cider, “You look lovely this evening, Velvet.”

She’s doing her best to be polite but given that he’s just been getting worse and worse on his demands for attention she isn’t sure indulging him in something like this is a good idea considering what happened with the vendor and the fact that he yelled at Eizen recently for taking his seat next to her. Discipline was very much in order but at the same time depriving Laphicet of attention or affection in any capacity seemed cruel in and to close to something the Abbey would do to misbehaving Malakhim. Velvet has to do something about this tonight.

Be firm and just tell him that he needs to calm down with the affections. That she loves him but not in that way and that he doesn’t need to be so aggressive about all of this.

Instead, she ends up ordering dinner and listening as he forces small talk from his mouth because silence just makes it painfully aware how out of place they are. So many people are staring at them.

She ordered a rare steak and various seasonal veggies hoping that there might still be enough blood that she could almost taste it. It’s not often but it sometimes has flavor. Laphicet looks at the menu and back to Velvet and says he wants the same and she shakes her head because it’s a lie. He’s trying to look more mature.

She tells the waiter to give him the mabo curry and Laphicet’s cheeks redden. “I wanted to try something more mature.”

“There’s nothing immature about mabo curry, to begin with. Besides, we both know you’d prefer this to what I was getting.” The way he tries to disappear in the chair prompts a small chuckle as they wait on their food.

Idly, Laphicet is running his finger on the rim of the glass and swallowing nervously. “Velvet, would it be rude to… to…” His voice trails off before he sits straight as the rail, “I need to go to the restroom.”

“I’m not stopping you.” Though she knows for a fact that he never has and never will need to use a restroom. He runs off and she wonders what he’s worked on and will she need to punch Rokurou for it.

He’s back less than a minute later and nervously goes back to the seat patting his pocket over and over. “Velvet, do you… do like strong guys?”

“I mean it’s pretty useful but I wouldn’t say it’s a requirement,” His big green eyes stare out at her waiting for just a little more, “But, I guess being strong is pretty great.”

“I’m strong you know. I’m powerful and I can protect you. I’m also smart and…”

“Kind.” She supplies raises a brow and watches his face redden before silence falls again.

It’s not till they’re eating that he continues again slowly picking at the plate. A deep sigh before setting his utensils down and reaching for his pocket. Velvet blinks and suddenly a small box is being presented to her, “Velvet I know you think I’m just a kid but I love you more than anything and I want you to marry me so we can always be together.”

The entire collective force of the restaurant is suddenly bearing down on them with sudden intrigue and her face might go red from sheer embarrassment. “Laphicet this isn’t something you should bring up in public.”

“Will you marry me? It’s a simple question. Just say no if you hate me that much.” Laphicet thrust the box in her hand. So earnest. So sweet. But-!

“Laphicet I can’t and won’t accept this.” Gently, she forces it bank into his hand and her heart splinters watching those eyes well up with tears.

“Why?” He thrusts it back, “I won’t be a kid forever you know! One day I’ll be a big strong handsome man that everyone looks up.” She pushes it back shaking her head, “I-i-I can’t change that I’m a malakhim but I can be as human as anyone else. Most people don’t even realize it in towns anymore.”

She pushed it back. No. She will not accept.

“I love you! I really love you Velvet and I want you to love me. I want you to never be away from me so I can make sure you’re smiling and you’re having good dreams. I want to be the biggest person in your heart.” He’s full crying and by now everyone is leaning in giving her all sorts of awful looks and she neither blames them or appreciates them.

There isn’t a delicate way to put this, “Phi, I will never marry you or love you like that.”

The tears stop and his eyes widen and his brow furrows, “Velvet you’re a right cunt and Rokurou was right about women!” He threw the box at her head and clattered the dishes to the ground running out the door crying. Velvet looked to the table and Laphicet and decided to throw her wallet on the table and told them to just take it as she ran after calling his name.

Running around a few corners calling and desperately dreading something horrible was met with relief when she heard his sobbing behind an alley crate. The relief that filled her was immense and she smiled as she approached.

“Hey, don’t run off like that. You’ll scare people.” She got closer and once in arms reach he slapped her.

“Don’t touch me! I hate you and I never want to see you again!” There’s snot dripping from his nose and he’s sobbing so much his body is trembling to the point he’s hunched. It’s easy to pull him into a hug and pet his hair even if he does keep trying to scream how much he hates her.

Velvet clicks her tongue, “You didn’t let me finish. Laphicet I don’t want to marry you. Because you’re already my family so there’s no need.”

His sobs soften, “What am I in this _family_?”

“Simple, you are my adorable baby brother.” Velvet ruffles at his hair and ignores the protests.

“I don’t want to be your brother!”

“And why not?”

Silence as he shyly looks away, “I… I don’t want to be on the same level as the other Laphicet. I’m not second to him!”

“Who said you were. I love both you as my brothers just differently.”

His eyes still narrow, “But I don’t want to share! I don’t want to share with someone else I want to be something higher up. So please let me be your husband!”

Okay, that’s it- Velvet goes in and starts to give him a noogie viscously and when he manages to slip out she starts to tickle him at the side. She pinches his cheeks and teasingly forces his arms into a pantomime of poking and prodding himself. The entire time she ignores the protests and enjoys the laughs the tickles make till finally he leaps cat out bath style.

“What was that for?”

“I’m just teasing my little brother. That’s all.”

Laphicet is absolutely dumbfounded.

She holds his hands delicately lowered to his eye level, “Phi I love you so much. So much more than you realize. I may not love you like in those romance novels Eizen reads but I love you as the dearest member of my family. If anything happened to you… Just know I love you and will always love you and I am so proud to call you my sibling.”

They stared each other in the eye a moment till Laphicet’s got that sudden sagely wisdom they get at times and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek and into a hug. “I love you, Velvet. I really do! I love you and I want to be your family always.”

“I’m happy to hear.”

“Now what was Rokurou telling you about women?”

**Author's Note:**

> look at the amazing work my artist did. Look at it's goodness. This was my first big bang and I was so happy to take part https://tales-of-big-bang.tumblr.com/post/611330151625752576/posting-on-behalf-of-hydrangeo-on-twitter-for-the


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